Waking Up

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I yawn and stretch when I wake, reaching my arm out for the familiar warmth of Ronnie. Then everything comes flooding back to me with a cold, empty bed and a flash of pain.

I shoot up to a sitting position, looking around my room frantically in case He's still here, and find that I'm not in my room at all. I'm in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines pumping clear white fluid into me. A movement out of the corner of my eye grabs my attention, and I scream hoarsely, but calm down a little bit when I see Lia.

My scream woke her up, though, and she yawns and rubs her eyes before standing from the chair and walking over to me.

"Hey," She says softly, her eyes full of pain. "How are you feeling?"

"My throat hurts," I say, and cough at the itchy feeling in my throat that talking gave me. "My body hurts."

"I'm so, so, so sorry I wasn't there for you," She says, tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks. "I should have never let you be alone, not after what happened twice before."

"I'm okay," I say, coughing again. My throat is so scratchy. "Can I get some water?"

"Of course, let me find a nurse, they'll want to know you're awake anyway."

As she turns to leave, I notice the bedpan underneath me, and realise that the tube in my stomach is a feeding tube. "Lia?" I ask hoarsely.

"Yeah?" She says, turning around.

"How long have I been out?"

She looks down, around, anywhere but at me, and says sheepishly, "A week or so.."

"I've been out for a week?" I shout, panicking. What did he do to me-?!

"Shh, calm down," Lia says, running over to my bed. She sits next to me and wraps me in her arms, consoling me in her embrace. I feel more at ease, but that doesn't stop the questions running through my head.

What did he do to me?
How was I out for a week?
How did he find me?
What if he finds me again?
How can I defend myself against him?
What's going to happen to me?

All these thoughts are making me anxious and panicky, and next thing I know there's a nurse coming inside with a concerned expression, relieved when she finds me awake.

She walks over and pulls up the chair Lia was sleeping in, setting it in front of me and scrutinising me. "How are you feeling?" She asks.

"I hurt," I reply simply. "I need water."

"I'll get that for you in just a second, dear," She says. "But first, there are some people here to see you. They'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened to you, if that's okay."

"I-" What did happen to me? He found me, that's what. Right after I hurt Ronnie in an unforgivable way, He found me and he raped me. I had it coming, I knew he was going to find me again, but I can't tell them that. It would be like He said- they're not going to believe me. "I don't remember."

"You don't remember anything?" She asks, not convinced.

"I... It was dark, and I was at home," I say. "It was around six in the morning, I guess. I was going to bed and someone attacked me."

"Do you know who?" She asks. "Do you know what they did to you?"

"No, I don't remember," I insist stubbornly. "I remember I couldn't breathe and then I woke up here."

"Katrina," She says slowly. "You were very badly beaten, your boyfriend found you with bruises, cuts, and lacerations all over your body." She pauses. "You were also bleeding very badly out of your vaginal area, and tests confirmed that you had been raped."

Confusion courses through me. "What do you mean, boyfriend?"

"A fellow with dark hair and many tattoos found you, he called 911 and rode with you all the way here in the ambulance." She looks at me curiously. "He didn't want to leave your side at all, but only family was allowed to visit you while you were unconscious. He hasn't left the waiting room."

"Can I see him now?" I ask. Dark hair and tattoos? That sounds like Ronnie, but it couldn't be. Why would it be?

"Yes, I'll go get him now," The nurse says, and walks out.

Two men and a woman walk into the room after she leaves. The men stand by the door while the woman sits in the chair the nurse was just in.

"My name is JJ," She says. "I'm with the FBI, as are my two partners here."

I nod and lean into Lia, scooting into a half-laying position. The woman has straight, platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and a kind face. I trust her immediately.

"What happened to you is a very serious offense," JJ says. "Rape in itself is one of the worst crimes, but with the beating you took we also consider attempted murder."

"M- murder?" I ask, eyes wide. He wouldn't kill me, just leave me on the brink of death, leaving me in that strange place where you almost feel dead but aren't hurt quite enough to actually die.

"Yes, attempted murder. You were choked nearly to death, your airways collapsed and if your significant other had found you any later you very well could have died." Her eyes are grave, and she folds her hands in her lap. "I know it might be hard, and you may not want to talk about it, but if you don't tell us everything whoever did this could hurt you again. So, I need you to tell me as much as you can about what happened that night."

My hands start to sweat and my heart picks up speed, which shows clearly on the monitor. I'm panicking inside my mind, he'll find out if I tell them it was him, he'll find a way out of the charges and come after me, he's good at manipulating people with his charm and his friendly demeanour, and my punishment will be worse next time.

"I- I don't remember much," I say, hoping they don't catch on that I'm lying. I remember everything. "I was at home, in bed, and this guy came out of nowhere. He pinned me to the bed, choked me, and then I blacked out."

"Do you remember what the man looked like?" JJ asks.

"I- I don't know. He was tall, and strong, and maybe had short dark hair?" I give them a vague description of Him, but I know exactly how He looks. Green eyes, chiseled jaw, strong nose, muscular but not buff, about six feet tall with short brown hair. He always has this five o'clock shadow, even after he shaves, and big ears.

"Did you notice anything distinguishable about him, such as a scar, or a tattoo?" JJ asks.

He has a long scar going up his left arm from a motorcycle accident, a snake tattooed on his right ankle, and a tiger tattooed on his chest. "I don't know," I respond. "I think he had a tattoo on his chest, some kind of animal?"

"Was it a large animal?"

"I think so, it was dark so I couldn't really see much." The first honest thing I've said the entire interview.

"Thank you," JJ says. "Even that little bit of information can help us tremendously." She reaches in her pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, handing it to me. "Here's my card in case you remember anything else, we'll be in touch." And then she leaves the room.

The nurse comes in right after the agents leave. "You said you'd like to see him," She says, gesturing her hand in front of her.

Then, Ronnie steps into the room.

Good Girls Bad Guys (A Ronnie Radke Fanfiction)Wo Geschichten leben. Entdecke jetzt